Experienced by Adrian McQueen
Photography by Adrenaline Lifestyles
Lincoln is making a lot of changes within the brand and the Nautilus helping along this rebranding process. The Lincoln Nautilus was once known as the Lincoln MKX. It is a luxury SUV that is also considered a crossover. It is actually the first crossover SUV offered by Lincoln. The Nautilus is slotted between the Aviator and the Corsair. Lincoln decided to phase out its use of “MK” model names, as a part of a mid-cycle update for the 2019 model year. The MKX is now known as the Lincoln Nautilus.
The exterior of the Nautilus is pretty slick. The model that we tested came in a Burgundy Velvet Metallic hue. The new rectangular grille with the large Lincoln star emblem is sure to be staple design for Lincoln moving forward. The Nautilus sits on 21-inch wheels shod with a dual exhaust and spoiler rounding out the rear of the vehicle. This vehicle definitely gives off an upscale vibe.
The Lincoln Nautilus has a luxurious interior. Inside the cabin are comfortable Onyx Venetian leather seats with a diamond design on the headrests. The front seats are 22-way power-adjustable multicontour massaging seats. The Nautilus seats five people. Both rows of seats offer enough room for adults, whereas in other SUV’s the back rows often are just enough for children.
Tech interest grows more and more each year. Lincoln has recognized that and equipped the Nautilus with the SYNC 3 infotainment system, which ranks as one of the best infotainment systems in its’ class. There is an 8-inch touch screen, satellite radio, Bluetooth, a 4G Wi-Fi hot spot, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, wireless device charging, navigation and two USB ports. The 19-speaker Revel Ultima audio system has phenomenal audio clarity.
Adding to the luxury standard, the Nautilus Black Label comes with sought after features such as a power foot-activated lift gate, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seat, panoramic power moon roof and rear-seat entertainment system, In the middle of the center stack is a large colorful touch screen that operates virtually everything from the climate controls. As a parent of two little kids, car seats are an important factor to the vehicles. The Nautilus has two full sets of LATCH connectors on the rear outboard seats. The rear-middle seat comes with a tether anchor.
The Nautilus that we tested comes with a 2.7 L EcoBoost V6 engine, kicking out 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. It is paired with an eight-speed automatic and available with all-wheel drive. The Nautilus is responsive around town and quick to accelerate on the highway. Overall the Nautilus handles well, sporty steering and delivers a nice and cushioned ride. The fuel tank can take 18 gallons of fuel, with the filler on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Fuel Economy comes in at 19 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway and 21 mpg combined.
Lincoln considers safety a top priority and the Black Label Nautilus came with a lot of safety features. The Driver Assistance package includes adaptive cruise control and evasive steering assist, while the Technology package adds a 360-degree camera, front parking sensors, and parallel and perpendicular park assist. Standard driver assistance features include automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, and automatic emergency braking.
The 2019 Nautilus received a five-out-of-five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It earned five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave it the highest rating of “Good” in six crash tests. The 2019 Nautilus does not yet have a predicted reliability rating from J.D. Power.
Lincoln did well in the warranty and maintenance coverage department. Powertrain coverage extends beyond its four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, the Aviator offers a better warranty than most of its competitors. Lincoln has a Limited warranty covers 4 years or 50,000 miles, Powertrain warranty covers 6 years or 70,000 miles and Complimentary maintenance that is covered for 4 years or 50,000 miles on the Black Label models only. Lincoln will deliver your vehicle to you, pick it up and return to you when it is time for servicing. Lincoln will also wash your vehicle at any time and once a year you get a full detail job for free. Those are some pretty good perks.
Coming in at $67,630.00, the 2019 Lincoln Black Label Nautilus is a quality vehicle that offers a lot to like in the luxury midsize SUV rankings. It has some stiff competition, going up against the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, Audi Q7, Cadillac XT5, Lexus RX, Acura MDX, Ford Edge and the BMW X5. I am so glad that Lincoln decided to break away from the acronyms and actually give the cars a name. Many onlookers questioned me about the vehicle and loved the name. Not to be confused with Captain Nemo’s submarine, this Nautilus name will ring bells across the industry. Nautilus is the perfect name for this spectacular new 5-passenger luxury SUV. Please enjoy the photo gallery.
